Episode 31 Eggheads

These people are amongst the greatest quiz players in Britain.

Together they make up the Eggheads,

arguably the most formidable quiz team in the country.

The question is, can they be beaten?

Welcome to Eggheads, the show where a team of five quiz challengers

pit their wits against possibly the greatest quiz team in Britain.

They are the Eggheads.

Taking on the awesome might of our quiz Goliaths today

are the Soroptimists.

This friends and family team devote their time to projects

that enhance the position of women in society,

both nationally and internationally.

Let's meet them.

Hello, I'm Barbara, I'm 73, and I'm a retired librarian.

Hello, my name is Susan, I'm 63 years old,

and I'm a retired tour manager.

Hello, I'm Ann, I'm 63 years old, and I am a retired head teacher.

Hello, I'm Sharon, I'm 41, and I'm an IT manager.

Hello, I'm Anne, I'm 71, and I'm a county councillor.

Welcome to you, Soroptimists.

What a great name Soroptimists is, and what a great aspiration as well.

Yes, it comes from Latin, of course - soro for sisters,

-and optimists, the best of.

-It speaks for itself.

-So we're the best of sisters.

-Yeah, and do you meet formally?

Oh, yes.

We're a worldwide organisation.

Our local club is in Ramsbottom, in Lancashire,

and we meet twice a month.

-OK.

-And other times for social events.

-OK.

I was quick to say, you have a bit of fun as well, don't you?

Definitely. Full of food. Important part.

-Maybe a glass of wine or two as well?

-Oh, just a few.

-Every now and again.

-Every now and then.

What about a little bit of quizzing, does any of that go on?

Occasionally. Occasionally.

We're not... We go to quizzes as a team, but not a lot.

-Well, you've come to the big one now.

-Yes.

-Taking on the Eggheads.

-Yes.

-You're not having second thoughts, are you?

-Yes.

-Too late now. Too late.

You just might beat them. Let me tell you what's been going on.

Every day there's £1,000 worth of cash up for grabs

for our Challengers.

However, if they fail to defeat the Eggheads,

the prize money, of course, rolls over to the next show.

So, Soroptimists, the Eggheads have won the last eight games

and that means £9,000 says you can't beat the Eggheads today.

Well, let's find out how you do. Round one coming right up.

Head-to-head, an attempt to knock an Egghead out of the game.

And it's Sport.

Who'd like to play this?

-Oh, hand up.

-I think it's me.

-Hand up from Ann.

-Who would you like to play from the Eggheads, Ann?

-Judith, please.

-Judith.

-Not very sister friendly, if I have a right to say.

OK, then. The opening round is going to be Ann and Judith playing Sport.

Could ask you both, please, to go to the Question Room?

That's just to make sure you can't confer with your team-mates.

OK, Ann, choose whether you want to go first or second for me.

I'll go first please, Dermot.

Good luck, Ann. Here's your first question, then.

Who was the world's number one-ranked men's tennis player

for 160 consecutive weeks from July 1974 to August 1977?

Um...

I don't think it's Boris Becker.

I know Pete Sampras has won an awful lot.

Um... Not sure about Jimmy Connors. I'll go for Pete Sampras.

OK, Pete Sampras for 160 consecutive weeks.

I'm sure he spent that amount of time and longer

given how good he was, but it's really on the dates there.

It's not Pete Sampras. The only one that fits is... Eggheads?

-Jimmy Connors.

-Jimmy Connors. OK.

Judith, in the exercise class known as spinning,

which of the following is commonly used?

Well, I don't think it would be a javelin because...

I don't know what spinning is but the things that spin are wheels

and so, I hope it's a bicycle.

Bicycle is correct. You got it, Judith. Well identified.

All right, let's get you off the mark, Ann.

By what score did England defeat Australia and the 2013 Ashes?

It's...

I know there was a draw. Was there a draw at Old Trafford?

Cos it always rains at Old Trafford.

It's either 3-0 or 4-0, so I'll go for...

Three.

OK.

And you got it, 3-0 is correct.

Well done. Well remembered.

OK, Judith, your second question.

What was the reported transfer fee for footballer Gareth Bale

when he moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in September 2013?

Well, I think 105 might...be...

slightly excessive, even for football.

I can't remember if it was 65 or 85.

I think I'm going to say 85.

Well, Gareth Bale moving to Spain and Real Madrid.

It's the right answer, Judith. Yep, £85.3 million.

Which means you need to get this, Ann.

Adrian Broner, born in 1989,

found fame as a leading name in which sport?

None of these are my sports at all.

Particularly table tennis. Um...

I'll go down the middle. Boxing.

OK. Well done. You got it. It is boxing.

Well, really revived your challenge there.

It stands at two all, but of course Judith faces her third question,

so could win the round here.

Judith, the athlete, LaShawn Merritt,

won gold medals at the 2009 and 2013 world championships

in which of these events?

I think it was the 400 meters

and his second one was the 400-meter relay.

Very good, Judith. It's the right answer.

Bad luck, Ann. As I say, revived the challenge,

but that slip-up on the first question

has cost you a place in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, Ann just missing out there means as it stands

after the first round,

the Soroptimists have lost that brain from the final round.

The Eggheads are all there, of course.

And our second subject, let's play.

Film & Television for this head-to-head.

Who'd like to play Film & Television?

-You?

-Me?

-You?

THEY MUMBLE

-Sue.

-OK, stay with us, Susan.

Do stay with us because we want an opponent for you.

-Pat or Barry?

-Um, Pat.

-Pat?

-Pat.

-Pat.

-All agreed? OK, decided upon Pat for Film & Television.

Could I ask you both to go to the Question Room, please?

So, Susan, I hear you spent a year in Beijing not too long ago.

Yes, I went just after the Olympic games.

I spent a year teaching English in Beijing.

Fantastic experience. What did you make of it?

I loved it. I'd go back tomorrow if I could.

OK, well, let's hope this round is interesting for you.

You know all the answers. Would you like to go first or second?

I think I'll go first, please.

OK, best of luck, Susan. Here's your first question.

What is the name of Monica Geller's brother

in the TV comedy series Friends?

Well, it was a great series and his name is Ross.

Indeed. No more to say, really, is there? Monica and Ross.

Right answer.

Pat, which long-running television series

featured celebrities reading children's stories?

Chigley was one of the variants on Trumpton.

Saturday Superstore was just a regular

Saturday kids companion programme.

And the answer you want is Jackanory.

It is, yes. It is the right answer, Jackanory.

OK, Susan.

Jonathan Nolan, brother of director Christopher Nolan,

is best known for his work in which field?

I don't know the answer to this

so it's going to have to be a wild guess, but...

I hope it's screenwriting.

Talented Nolan brothers.

And it is, yes, Jonathan Nolan known as a screenwriter.

Well done, Susan.

That's two for you. Pat, your second question.

Who played the US president in the 2013 blockbuster

White House Down?

Oh, there's been a rash of...

White House calamity films -

Olympus Has Fallen, White House Down.

I think I'll go for Jamie Foxx but this could easily go wrong.

OK, Jamie Foxx.

No, it hasn't gone wrong. It is correct. Yes, you got it.

So, OK, all square. Going well here, Susan.

Third question.

How many times was John Gielgud nominated for an Oscar?

Um, I'm afraid I'm not sure about this but...

..six and ten seem a bit extreme so...

-I'll go for the conservative estimate and try two, please.

-OK. Two.

And you're right again, Susan.

Great stuff. Well, Pat, you need to get this.

The 2,000th episode of which TV soap was broadcast in 2011?

Crikey, 2,000 episodes.

Three episodes a week, 50 weeks a year,

150 into 2,000, you need about...

You need about...

150 a year, 2,000...

12 years at three a week would get you there.

That doesn't actually seem that long, really.

I have a memory, I think, of an EastEnders live episode.

I hope it was in recent times and was for this purpose,

so I'll go EastEnders.

OK, EastEnders for 2,000 episodes in 2011.

Judith, you watch a lot of EastEnders? What do you think?

-I do, but I must say I don't count the episodes.

-That's true.

That is a fair point. OK.

It's not the right answer, Pat.

Any other Eggheads tell me?

On the numbers, I would've gone for Doctors.

Yeah, Pat, you were doing the numbers.

I was a bit concerned about the numbers even as I did the sums.

-Doctors.

-I was a bit uneasy.

Yeah, well, EastEnders has been around since what, '85?

So, been around an awful long time.

Just saying, not broadcast every day but a lot more episodes.

Which means, let's look at the scoreboard.

Susan marching into the final round for the Soroptimists.

You've knocked...

The reigning world quiz champion has been knocked out there by Susan.

Well done, you.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

OK, so that means it's all square.

Both the Soroptimists and the Eggheads

have lost one brain from the final round.

Everything to play for. Our third subject is Politics.

Who from the Soroptimists will play this?

Sharon, Anne or Barbara?

I think it's me.

That hand wasn't quite as positively put up as Ann's.

-Do you want to play?

-Oh, golly, yes.

-We'll have CJ.

-OK, just stay with us until we see if CJ doesn't mind.

But he has to play, anyway.

CJ, Politics. You're quite strong on that, right?

I don't mind politics, especially if it's US politics.

US politics and presidents and things like that.

OK, Anne and CJ into the Question Room, please.

Well, Anne, I know you're well travelled.

Have you met any senior politicians or world leaders on those travels?

Well, I have, actually. But I'm sad to say some of them are now dead.

-Well, name some names for us.

-Ronald Reagan.

-Wow.

-Which I think is quite good, really.

-Yes.

-I did meet Mrs Margaret Thatcher. I did meet Harold Wilson.

-Wow.

So I've met a few leaders.

How did you meet Reagan? Was that while he was president?

It was...I went over for his inauguration...

-in 1980.

-Yeah, wow.

-It was quite something.

-What a moment.

OK, well, well qualified to play this round, I would guess.

-Do you want to go first or second, Anne?

-Oh, first.

OK, well, I think we can bear in mind the conversation

we just had with this question. Have a listen.

Which of these nicknames

was Margaret Thatcher given in the 1970s?

Well, this is quite easy for me

because I'm only sorry she wasn't the minister when I was at school.

Because I hated milk and she was the Milk Snatcher.

As education secretary, yes. In Ted Heath's administration.

That's the right answer, yes.

Milk Snatcher, Maggie Thatcher, Milk Snatcher.

The rhyme there.

OK, CJ, which building is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.?

That's the White House, Dermot.

It is, CJ.

Yes, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.,

an alternative name or number for the White House.

OK, Anne, what was the first name of Winston Churchill's wife?

Well, again, he took great interest in Violet who was a girlfriend,

but they did have very different approach to government.

I have to say, I don't think Margot entered into the equation.

But of course, the sweetest delight, of course, was Clementine.

OK...which is the right answer, of course. Well explained.

Thank you, Anne.

Two for you.

CJ, which of these political figures was born first?

I mean, you automatically think it's Merkel. Not Palin.

Theresa May, I don't think is as old as Merkel.

-So I will go for Angela Merkel.

-Angela Merkel.

A roundabout way of asking which is the oldest of these.

And it is Angela Merkel. Yes, indeed. German Chancellor.

OK, back to you, Anne, for a third question.

The lower chamber of the Parliament of Canada,

which has 308 elected MPs is known as the House of what?

Mm...

Ah, now this is a bit of a conundrum, I have to say.

Well, we certainly know it's not the Commons.

My gut, and I have a horrible feeling this is going to be wrong...

I'm going for Collectives.

OK, Collectives. The House of Collectives for Canada.

It's incorrect, Anne. It's not the right answer. Do you know, CJ?

-It's the House of Commons.

-It is the House of Commons.

-Oh, sorry.

OK, see how CJ does. It might not be over.

CJ, in which year did Ireland become a member

of the European Economic Community?

I don't know.

'73 is the year that the UK joined.

I don't think it's as early as '63.

I don't know so I will guess at '73.

Going to guess at '73, as CJ identified.

Turn that into question.

Knew that the UK joined the Common Market

as it was termed then in 1973.

Pat, you can tell me?

-I think it's '73, yes.

-Think or know?

-I think it was Denmark, Ireland and Britain went in.

-That's it.

You do know it. Yes, it's the right answer, CJ.

Yeah, Denmark, Ireland, and Britain, they do like to do that.

We've seen in subsequent years, haven't we?

Not just one country joins.

Several accede to the now European Union together.

So that means CJ got it and bad luck, Anne.

Some good quizzing there but just sorted out a winner

on the third question means you won't be in the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

Well, ebb and flow in the game so far as it stands now.

The Soroptimists have lost two brains from the final round.

The Eggheads have lost one.

Now, if we continue with the pattern, an Egghead should go here.

It's Geography, this round. Who would like to play it?

It's Barbara or Sharon.

Yes, I will play Geography.

OK, now stay with us, Barbara, and choose your Egghead carefully.

Well, there aren't that many to choose from left

given it's the last head-to-head, so you can play Barry or Chris.

THEY MUMBLE

-It doesn't make any difference.

-No, it doesn't.

We'll play Chris, please.

OK.

Let's have Barbara and Chris into the Question Room, please.

Let's play the round, shall we? Geography. And you get to choose.

Do you want to go first or second, Barbara?

I'll go first please, Dermot.

All right, here's your first question and best of luck with it,

and indeed all of them. Here you go.

Ecuador is bordered by which ocean?

Well, Ecuador is in South America.

So it's obviously not the Indian Ocean

or the Arctic Ocean, so I will go for the Pacific.

Right to do so. Of course, yes.

Well done. Good start.

Chris, on the national flag of the USA,

what colour is the rectangle in the top left-hand corner

on which the 50 stars sit?

It's blue, Dermot.

-It is, yes. Do you visualise them in your head, all these flags?

-Yeah.

I mean, I actually thought it's kind of a simple question,

but I think other people just think kind of...

OK, good start. Barbara, second question.

What is the approximate population of Monaco?

What is the approximate population of Monaco? Have you ever been there?

-No.

-OK.

-I know where it is.

I know it's one of the smallest countries in the world.

I don't think it's 3 million.

I think 350,000.

It is very, very small, and so it's not 350,000.

I think you know what I'm going to tell you. It's 35,000.

35,000. All right, second question for you, Chris.

Which of these cities is located on New Zealand's North Island?

Well, Christchurch had their catastrophic earthquake

a few years back and that's on South Island.

As is Invercargill, so on North Island it's got to be Napier.

Yes, it's the right answer.

Chris displaying his extensive knowledge of geography there

means you must get this, Barbara, to stay in the round.

Which Hawaiian island is nicknamed the Big Island?

I don't know this, so it's going to be a guess.

Hawaii is somewhere I've never visited, or that area, so...

..I think...

..I will go on my right of 'Ohahu'.

-Is that pronounced correctly?

-Oahu.

-O...Oahu.

OK. What do you think, Chris?

Well, that's where Honolulu is, so that's what I'd go along with.

Interesting.

It is actually Hawaii.

Hawaii is nicknamed the Big Island. Bad luck, Barbara.

I'm sorry, it means we have to close the round down right there.

Chris has already done enough to get into the final round.

Would you both please come back and join your teams?

And this is what we've been playing towards.

Time for the final round which, as always, is General Knowledge.

But I'm afraid those of you who lost your head-to-heads

won't be allowed to take part in this round.

So, Barbara and the two Anns from the Soroptimists

and Pat from the Eggheads,

would you leave the studio now, please?

So, Susan and Sharon, you're playing to win the Soroptimists £9,000.

CJ, Barry, Chris, and Judith, you are playing for something

which money can't buy - the Eggheads' reputation.

And as usual, I'm going to ask each team three questions in turn.

So that stays the same as the head-to-heads.

Here are the differences - the questions can be anything.

It's General Knowledge,

and you are allowed to confer, which Sharon is quite...

-Relieved about.

-Very pleased to see Susan get through there

knocking Pat out.

So, Soroptimists, the question is,

are your two brains better than the Eggheads' four?

And, Susan and Sharon, what do you want to do? You get to choose again.

Do you want to go first or second?

We'll go first.

OK. Final round. Can you win the money, Sharon and Susan?

First question.

Which of these cocktails originated in Cuba?

Which of these cocktails originated in Cuba?

OK, so Mai Tai is...it's the coconut one, isn't it?

I think that's sort of Hawaii type.

You have a more interesting life than I have. I don't know any of these.

I've drunk them all.

Cosmopolitan... Don't think that would be Cuba.

-Mojito is a Spanish word.

-My instinct was something like...

-Mojito.

Mojito. Should we go for mojito?

Mojito, please, Dermot.

Mojito... I like the way you say that. Mojito.

It is the right answer. There, that'll calm you down.

So, you've sampled them along your travels?

I have been known to enjoy the occasional mojito.

You've also eaten some interesting food,

like kangaroo, crocodile, that kind of thing?

Yeah, kangaroo and crocodile were quite tasty.

The jellyfish wasn't so great.

No, I wouldn't say so. OK, but that mojito goes down well.

Steadied you there. Easing you into the final round.

Eggheads, Burn was a 2013 UK number one single for which British singer?

Burn was a 2013 UK number one single for which British singer?

Burn was in The Hit Parade for quite some time

and it was by Ellie Goulding.

Oh, The Hit Parade. Aw.

Is it a hit or a miss?

Jukebox Jury. Ellie Goulding, anyway, is the right answer.

Well done, Barry.

All right, it's all square and back to the Soroptimists.

What are the names of the main characters

in John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice And Men?

I have very un-fond memories of studying this at school.

It's George and Lennie.

Well, you may not have enjoyed it at the time.

I bet you're enjoying it now. It's the right answer.

George and Lennie in Of Mice And Men.

Well done. You've got two.

Eggheads, in September 2013, which space probe

became the first man-made object to leave the solar system?

In September 2013, which space probe became the first man-made object

to leave the solar system?

THEY MUMBLE

I think the only one of those

that has reached the end of the solar system,

which I believe is called the heliopause,

is Voyager 1.

Can you say that in English?

The bit where the sun's influence stops.

Ah, thank you, Barry. Thanks for translating.

You've got the right answer. Voyager 1 is correct.

Well, we're on quite a voyage here. You got two out of two.

This, as Susan knows, can be crucial. Third question.

It just potentially could win you the money.

Christian X was king of which of these countries

during World Wars I and II?

Do you know? Cos my thoughts before the answers came up was Denmark.

Well, frankly I don't know, but I think...

It sounds like a Danish name.

-OK, yes, we'll go for Denmark.

-If it's wrong, I apologise.

Well, I don't know it, I'm afraid, so...

We'll go for Denmark, please, Dermot.

On the basis of what? Christian sounding...

Yeah, sounds like a Danish name.

Christian X was king of...

..Denmark for a long time.

Right answer. A step closer to the £9,000. Eggheads...

Crucial question.

The Canadian, Jessica Stam, born in 1986,

has found fame in which field?

I haven't heard of her.

-Born in '86 is surely too young for architecture.

-27 is too...

Yes, I was thinking that - far too young. It's cookery or fashion.

It could be cookery or fashion, but more likely to be...

..fashion.

Fashion. She could be a designer or she could be a model.

-There's not much cookery that comes out of Canada.

-No, that's true.

Well, it's true, actually.

I can't think of any famous Canadian cooks or chefs.

Fashion is much more likely for somebody of that age.

-Yes, there was The Galloping Gourmet.

-He was a New Zealander.

-No, the... What's his name?

-Graham Kerr.

-Graham Kerr.

-He was Canadian.

-No.

Well, then again, fashion might be the obvious one to go for,

so she might be a cook.

-Yeah, at that age.

-Yeah.

My vote is for cookery because I think fashion is too obvious.

Well, I don't think it matters.

The law of averages.

She could be the exception that proves the rule

about Canadian cooking.

I've got nothing to go on and all I'll say is

that if was me in there, I would go for cookery.

Well, fashion, it is a bit obvious, isn't it?

The age is right for fashion,

but what fashion comes out of Canada, all things considered?

There again, what cookery comes out?

But, at that age, she could've made a name for herself as a cook.

So, I'll change my vote. Cookery.

Well, as you've gathered, Dermot, we haven't the first idea on this one.

-But we've come to a consensus...

-Not a consensus.

Well, an almost... A three-to-one majority

that we're going for cookery,

and will never hear the end of it if it's fashion.

OK, well, start scolding them now, Judith, because it is fashion.

She's a model.

Which means you've won the money!

I can't believe it!

-I can't believe it!

-We are a little bit surprised.

Well done, Soroptimists. And for you, Susan, winning twice.

I mean, you've won two rounds now. You won your head-to-head and...

Well, it's a lot of guesswork. It feels good. Thank you.

Well played. Congratulations to you.

One up for the sisterhood as well. One up for the Soroptimists.

You should see behind you. Go on, you can turn around and have a look.

Look at them. Wonderful stuff.

Well, listen, it's been so good meeting you,

hearing about the work of the Soroptimists,

and hearing about all the other wonderful things you've done.

You can go home with £9,000. Any ideas what...

Well, it'll all go to charities, so that's what we're doing it for

and also to highlight...

to raise the profile of Soroptimists, obviously, so...

Yes, it will be rather nice to be able to hand out a few checks.

-It will be very nice. Thank you very much.

-Well, congratulations to you.

You are officially cleverer than the Eggheads.

You've proved they can be beaten.

So join us next time on Eggheads

to see if a new team of Challengers will be just as successful.

Until then, goodbye.